Orchard heater



June 29 1926.

G. A. SMITH ET AL ORCHARD HEATER Filed March 18. 1925 anfora Patented June 29, 1926.

UNITED STATES 'PATENT GEORGE A. SMITH AND DENIS SMITH, 0F' NTARIQCALIFRNA.'

ORCHARD HEATER.

Application filed March 18, 1925. vSerial N'o..`16,410..

This invention relate's'to orchard heaters and is more particularly directed to an .orchard heater in which t-he fuel is completely burned so as to eliminate vsmoke commonly formed by such heaters and to obtain a maximum heating value from the fuel used.

An object of this invention is to provide an orchard heater of simple and inexpensive construction and easyto operate and place in the proper position foruse, and when so positioned and in use, willdistribute the lie-at ov r the surface of the .ground and further will act to heat the ground so `as-to obtain a maximum heating efficiency from f the fuel consumed.

An object of this invention is to provide an apparatus fork the combustion of the vapors formed from an ordinary smudge pot in which means are provided for thoroughly mixing the vapors formed with sufficient quantity of air to insurethe complete combustion of the vapors so 'as to obtain the maximum heating value from the fuel consumed and which apparatus yis of simple and inexpensive construction.

Other objects and advantages of thisinvention will be apparent from the'following detaileddescription of a preferredembodiment thereof as Villustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of an orchard heater assembly embodying this invention.

Fig. 2 is a central sectional side elevation of the orchard heater embodying this invention.

Fig. 3 is a sectional end elevation thereof taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

In the preferred form of this invention shown in the accompanying drawings, 1 illustrates a smudge pot of any suitable construction, as is well understood in the art. From a stack 2 of the smudge pot a conduit 3 conveys vapors of the fuel into a vapor collecting chamber 4 which vapor collecting chamber 4 is separated from acombustion chamber 5 by means of a vertical plate partition 6. The fuel employed in the smudge pot is usually what is known as slop distillate. The conduit 3 may be formed of any suitable material. and it has been found that the same may be constructed eiiiciently from a plurality of sections of stove pipe material, and the same telescopes over the pipe section 7 which is affixed to the body8 of the orchard heater Y in any suitable manner such as illustrated at 9. V

The vapors leaving the smudge pot 'are collected in the chamber stand meanslare provided forthoroughly mixing these vapors with air rasthe sameare introduced into combustionv lchamber 5 so lthat a complete Vcombustion will `be eiected and the maximum heat obtained therefrom which means preferably comprise theplate parti-V the stream of .air admitted through the ports 11, whereby the air and .the vapors are thoroughly commingled so. that a complete combustion of the vapors isl effected inthe chamber 5. y There being no bottom secured 'to the body 8 of this orchard heater, the flames are burning directly over the ground and heat the Vsame 'for a considerable distance around the heater which increases the radiating surface of the orchard heater and adds greatly to the efficiency of this orchard heater in maintaining the orchard trees free from frost.

A stack 13 is secured to the body 8 as illustrated at 14 to carry away the combustion products formed in the chamber 5, the stack 13 extending upward from this orchard heater any desired distance7 preferably such a distance as to insure at all times the complete combustion of the vapors ad# mitted into the chamber 5 and so that the heat o f this combustion will be radiated to a maximum degree by the walls of the combustion chamber and the stack 13 and will not pass directly up from the top of the stack 13.

The body 8 of this orchard heater is preferably formed of sheet metal and is, therepensive orchard heater bythe means of which a complete combustion of the fuel used is obtained and a maximumv heat radiating or ldirecting power is obtained from the fuel.

Having fullydescribed a preferred embodiment of this invention, it is understood. that We do not Wish to be limited to the exact construction herein set forth, which may, obviously, be varied in detail Without departing from the spirit of the invention, as set forth in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. In an orchard heater, the combination of an oil vaporizing member, a vapor collecting chamber, means for conducting the vapors from the oil vaporizing member to the vaporccollecting chamber, a combustion chamber separated from the vapor collecting chamber by a plate, a slot formed in the combustion chamber at the entrance end thereof at a point advanced `from the plate, and a plurality of portsformed in the plate for directing the vapors into the air admitted through the said slot.

2.' In an orchard heater, the combination Vof a vapor collecting chamber, a combustion chamber separated from thet vapor collecting chamber by a plate, a slot formed in the combustion chamber at Athe entrance end thereof and at a point tothe rear of the plate, and a plurality of ports formed along the perimeter of the plate for directing the Yvapor into the air admitted through the slot.

3. In an orchard heater, the combination of a body, a vapor collecting chamber Within the body, a combustion chamber Within the body `and separated from the vapor collecting chamber by a plate, means for admitting air into the combustion chamber at the entrance end thereof, and a plurality of ports formed in the plate for directing the vapors into the air admitted.

4. In an orchard heater, the combination of a vapor collecting chamber, a combustion chamber separated from the vapor collecting chamber by a plate, lmeans for securing the said plate in position so as vto permit the vapor to pass fromr the vapor collecting chamber to the combustion chamber, aslot formed in the combustion chamber at the entrance Vthereof andiat a point at the rear of the plate so that the incoming air is directed into the vapor admitted around thel said plate into the said combustion chamber.

5. In an orchard heater, the combination of an oil vaporizing member, a vapor collecting chamber, means for conducting the vapors from the oil vaporizing member to the vapor collecting chamber, a combustion chamber, a plate separating the combustion chamberfrom the vapor collecting chamber, means holding the said plate in position and spaced from the Wall of the said chamber so as to permit the flow of vapor from the vapor collecting chamber into the said combustion chambery and a slot v4formed 'in the combustion chamber at -the entrance end thereof ata point advanced from the said plate for directing the air into the vapors admitted around the said plate into the combustion chamber. f

Signed at Ontario, California, this 9th day of March, 1925.

i' GEORGE A. SMITH.

DENIS SMITH. 

